30 observations about ‘Christmas Vacation’ (1989)
Movie commentary: John Hughes’ “Christmas Vacation” came out 30 years ago this month, and it has only grown in status as a holiday classic since.
Family Drama
30 observations about ‘Christmas Vacation’ (1989)
‘Kick-Ass 2’ (2013) finds its groove
Superhero Saturday (Movie review): This superhero-comedy sequel finds its groove with better jokes and action.
‘Knight Before Christmas’ is more empty calories from the Netflix holiday machine (Movie review)
“The Knight Before Christmas” (November, Netflix), like most of TV’s recent holiday movie catalog, is so uninspired that I wonder if the sets, locations, casting and costumes come first. Then an exec assigns a writer […]
‘Good Boys’ is somehow both the raunchiest and cutest comedy of the year (Movie review)
There were many ways “Good Boys” could go wrong, from over-reliance on the shock value of tweens dropping F-bombs, to kids who can’t act, to recycled “American Pie” gags. But this latest entry from writers […]
It’s the Sixties, man, in ‘Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 3
TV review:“Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” third season discovers subtlety to go with its usual bombast.
‘Blinded by the Light’s’ Pakistani family drama awkwardly mixes with Springsteen tunes (Movie review)
I love the way Javed (Viveik Kalra) loves Bruce Springsteen in “Blinded by the Light.” The Pakistani-British youth sings and dances in the street once he gets the Boss bug. He smiles when listening to […]
‘The Vicious Kind’ (2009) a sweet and sour Thanksgiving flick
Throwback Thursday (Movie review): This film is a sour yet sweet exploration of families and human behavior.
Hilarious Florida roast aside, ‘Big Mouth’ takes a step backward with hit-and-miss Season 3 (TV review)
Although “Big Mouth” Season 3 (October, Netflix) ultimately delivers enough good episodes that I give it a soft recommend, it is a clear step back from its first two seasons. In the worst episodes, the […]
PKD goes mainstream in ‘Confessions of a Crap Artist’ (1975)
PKD flashback (Book review): “Confessions of a Crap Artist” was the only non-SF novel published in Philip K. Dick’s lifetime, and it’s not a bad choice.
First episode impressions: ‘Almost Family’ (TV review)
A dramedy starring Brittany Snow and produced by Jason Katims should be at the top of my list of must-see fall shows, but the preview for “Almost Family” (Wednesdays, Fox) looked somewhere between weird and bad. […]